Shampoo and Conditioner Bars

One of my personal favorites from my own journey of eliminating plastic is the discovery of shampoo and conditioner bars! And while there are several choices out there, the company I’ve fallen in love with is Lush. Their products are hand made with natural ingredients, cruelty-free, and 100% vegan. And, they’re naked. 

By naked they mean no packaging. If you walk into one of their stores, pretty much all of their products are naked and are bought as is, and put in a paper bag. You can also order online if there isn’t a store near you. Now since these products have the tendency to “melt” if left somewhere where it is wet for a long period of time, they do also sell small stainless steel tins that you can store the bars in! They don’t rust and they do a great job of giving your products a longer life in your shower. 

Now the idea of a shampoo or conditioner bar may sound very weird to most people, especially when we’re so used to this product coming in a bottle. But like the toothpaste tablets, it becomes second nature to use once you get over the initial difference of it. Plus, from my experience, there are a lot of benefits from this switch. 

Before, I was using a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of conditioner about once every month or so. And while I recycle my bottles, I knew there was no guarantee they were actually being recycled. Plus most people don’t even do that, which means most of these bottles end up in landfills. And then I discovered Lush, and I’ve been completely sold on this product for life. I plan to never buy conventional bottles of shampoo or conditioner again so long as I can help it. 

Going to Lush for the first time, the person who talked with me about the products discussed my hair and skin type, and then suggested the specific products that would likely work best for me. So I tried out a shampoo bar and conditioner bar at her suggestion. I got my first batch in March of this year, and while I had to replace the conditioner bar already (I didn’t use it effectively the first time plus I have a lot of hair), I still had the original shampoo bar until August! It does help that the shampoo bar suds up VERY easily, so you don’t use a lot of it to begin with. 

Despite the fact that the bars are about $12 or so each, the fact that they each last at least a couple of months, whereas I was spending $5-7 a month per bottle of shampoo and conditioner, in the long run, I’m saving money. 

On top of that, the other great thing about these products (at least from my experience) is that they don’t have the chemicals conventional products do that strip your hair and skin of the natural oils you produce that are beneficial to you. Meaning your hair and skin doesn’t get as oily or greasy as quick as you may be used to seeing, which means you don’t have to wash your hair as often. 

Before I had to wash my hair every other day, otherwise I would start to look gross. Now, I only have to wash my hair twice a week. Since it’s summer and it has been hot, I have had to wash it a little more, but that is due to the weather and sweating in the heat. But, Lush also sells dry shampoo (shampoo powder) that is intended to help with this in-between washes.

Unfortunately, this particular product they sell does come in a plastic bottle. But if it is any consolation, it is recycled plastic. Anyways, because the product keeps my hair nice for longer periods of time, I don’t use it as often as I would be using regular shampoo and conditioner, which means I save money in the long run and the product lasts me even longer! 

Now as I said, suggesting this product from this company is from my own experience. Everyone’s hair and skin are different, and not all of this company’s products will work as well for you as they did for me. But fear not! There are plenty of other companies online that sell this type of product and with the lack of plastic packaging! 

Find what works best for you and your family’s individual needs! 

Body Wash Bar

Another product I’ve started using from Lush is their soap bars, particularly their ‘Sexy Peel’ orange peel body soap. It lathers up very easily so you don’t need a whole lot, and it smells amazing. 

I haven’t used my liquid body soap since I got this bar of body soap. And since the soap comes in different sized bars that have been cut up and wrapped in paper, you can cut the bars into smaller squares! I cut my bar in smaller sections and only just had to replace it in August.

Similar to the shampoo bars, from my experience with this soap, my skin doesn’t get oily as often as it used to with my liquid body wash, which means that the bar of body wash lasts me a lot longer. So once again, I’m saving money on hygiene products! Plus, since the ingredients are natural, what goes down the drain isn’t as harmful to the environment as the soap I used to use. 

Again, there are many options on the market for this type of product! Find a soap and company you like that works best for your skin type! 

Face Wash Bars

If I can share my experience with Lush one more time, I’d like to share my experience with their face wash bars (or discs, as they more closely resemble that shape). 

These bars are relatively small discs of face wash that only need to warm up in your hand a bit and then be worked into your skin before washing off with warm water. From my use of these products, I’ve found my skin to be softer and less oily throughout the day. 

These are a great alternative to the bottles of face wash that are so prevalent at the store, and in which oftentimes have microbeads in them which are HORRIBLE for the environment! 

Like my other Lush products, the face wash bars work well with my skin so that I don’t have to use the product often, and thus don’t have to replace it as often! 

Natural Fiber Wash Mitt, Natural Loofah, Bamboo Scrubber, or Hand Towel

Now one of the other sources of plastic waste may be one that you overlook – your loofah. That is if you’re using one that is made from plastic netting.

Luckily, there are several options to use in place of a regular loofah! My personal choice has been a natural-fiber wash mitt. The one I have is machine washable and is made out of natural fibers so there are no plastic microfibers to be washed down the drain.

Another option is a natural loofah, usually made from a gourd, which is in the same plant family as pumpkins and squash. When the inside of these plants are dried out, they make decent scrubbers and even padding and have been used for thousands of years, dating back to ancient China and Egypt. If you get one that is 100% natural, it should be compostable, so you don’t need to feel so guilty about when it comes time to replace it. There are also ways to sanitize it to prolong its lifespan and help it last longer. 

A different choice that may work better for you may be a bamboo scrubbing brush. That is a brush with a bamboo handle and natural brush fibers. Make sure you get one that is properly biodegradable/compostable! This option may also help you if you have any hard to reach places on your body that need to be properly cleaned. Like the previous options, there are ways to sanitize the brush so that you don’t have to replace it as often.

Lastly, you can always go the other old-fashioned route by using a regular hand-towel or washcloth, preferably one that is made from 100% natural material. Again, this is to cut back on the plastic microfibers going down the drain. Plus being machine washable, this lasts a long time, so you don’t have to waste money on replacing a plastic-netted loofah every month or so. 

Besides, plastic loofahs get full of bacteria and other icky stuff really quickly, especially in the shower where it’s wet and hot – the perfect ground for bacteria to grow. 

Whatever option you choose here, moving away from the plastic loofah is a great way to cut back on plastic waste! Especially since we want to keep netting out of our landfills and oceans to protect wildlife. 

Bamboo Hair Brush

Another product I myself am looking at, bamboo hair brushes are another way to kick some plastic out of your life! While you probably don’t replace your brush often, when you do it will likely end up in the trash – most people wouldn’t want a hand-me-down or donated brush, for health reasons understandably. So, save a little bit more plastic from the landfill and get a bamboo brush! Doing a quick search online, I saw a few options available that are made from all-natural materials and come in little to no plastic packaging. You may also get lucky and find one at the grocery store, especially one that is more environmentally-leaning.

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